This invention relates to beverage dispensers of the kind which dispense cooled, ambient and/or heated liquids, which are supplied from a bottle or similar container mounted on the dispenser.
Beverage dispensers commonly found in offices and similar premises are rectangular in plan view with four vertically elongate sides. Generally, the rear of the dispenser is substantially open to permit free air circulation and cooling. Consequently, such dispensers tend to occupy a considerable amount of space, and they must also be situated to permit adequate ventilation.
The liquid to be dispensed (generally water) is transferred from the container into a holding reservoir within the dispenser, wherein the liquid may be cooled or heated before being dispensed from a valve into a cup or other receptacle. In order to improve the hygiene in such dispensers it is now common to provide a reservoir which can be removed along with the bottle coupling and associated interconnections. Thus, the removable components can be replaced with clean items at regular intervals. For this reason, and for general maintenance, it is necessary to gain access to the internal components through a removable panel of the dispenser.
The present invention seeks to provide a new and inventive form of beverage dispenser which as well as being hygienic is very compact whilst at the same time providing easy access when changing the replaceable components.
The present invention proposes a beverage dispenser which incorporates:
three vertically elongate walls, namely a front wall and a pair of side walls which converge rearwardly from the front wall;
a top cover which is removably mounted on said elongate walls and which is adapted to receive and support an inverted liquid container with a neck of the container passing through an aperture in said top cover;
a platform mounted below said top cover, said platform being adapted to removably receive and support a coupling member which incorporates a feed tube for insertion into the neck of such a container when supported on the top wall, the platform further containing an opening which is in registration with a thermal receptacle mounted below said platform for removably receiving a reservoir through said opening, said reservoir being connected to the feed tube to receive liquid from said inverted container.
The front and side walls are preferably generally arcuate in transverse cross-section.
The platform preferably contains one or more holes for insertion of a conduit through which liquid is removed from the reservoir. The platform may also be adapted to receive other replaceable components. For example, the platform may hold an air filter through which air is conducted to the feed tube to replace liquid removed from the bottle, a non-return valve etc. The platform may also incorporate a dispensing valve for controlling the flow of liquid through the conduit. The platform may conveniently be formed as a plastics moulding.
Preferably a ventilation duct extends along the junction of the convergent side walls, said duct containing a plurality of ventilation apertures at different heights which communicate with the external atmosphere. The dispenser may include a fan arranged to create a positive air flow between the interior of the housing and the ventilation duct or vice versa. Thus, the duct may be of relatively small volume but will still provide adequate ventilation with minimum risk of obstruction.
The ventilation duct is preferably rigidly connected with spaced substantially parallel structural members at the front of the housing. At the top of the housing the platform may rigidly connect the duct with the two structural members while a base plinth may rigidly connect the duct and structural members at the lower end of the housing. An intermediate bulkhead may also rigidly connect the duct with the structural members.
The front wall of the housing may be fastened to the two structural members, e.g. using screws. The two side walls are preferably provided with downwardly-directed hook formations which are inserted into vertical slots provided in one flank of the duct and one of the structural members.
The structural members preferably include a pair of angularly-inclined wall sections. The outer edges of both angularly-inclined sections are preferably provided with substantially perpendicular flanges. Thus, the two members can be very strong but relatively lightweight.